Those Jackson Kids
by I. M. Frelling-Wonko
Summary: A series of vignettes connected to my story "Glimpse". FORMERLY KNOWN AS "OH MAMMA"
1. Can I Keep It?

This is going to be a series of vignettes following the little family I created in my story _Glimpse__. _ I enjoyed writing Rhen, Lilah and Matthew so I wanted to continue their story. I also got a few requests to do so and it gave me just the push I needed. I hope you enjoy reading about these characters as much as I enjoyed writing them.

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**Disclaimer: **Canon characters belong to their creators but I take full responsibility for the kids. Unless they break something, then they belong to my muse.

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**Spoiler Warnings:** Absolutely none.

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******Story Summary: **Matthew says those four words every parent dreads.

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**Ages:** Matt (7)

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**Can I Keep It?**

"Can I keep it?"

Vala groaned when she heard the softly spoken request. Not another one. She tried to brace herself for what she was going to see but nothing could have prepared her for the..._creature_ in her seven-year-old son's hands.

"Matthew Nicholas Jackson, what _is_ that thing and why is it in my kitchen?"

"It's a bullfrog, Mommy. I found him by the pond. Can I keep him? I promise to take care of him."

Vala knew she was a goner the moment her son looked at her with those crystal blue eyes. She never could resist them. Life would have been much simpler if her children had inherited her eyes. Damn, Daniel Jackson. Knowing she was going to capitulate irritated Vala so she tried to remain stern. She had to at least _look_ like she had some control here.

"Don't you think it would be happier outside, darling?"

"No, Mommy. He likes me and I like him."

"Yes, but-

"His name is Atticus, by the way."

Oh boy, he's already named the thing, she thought. Taking a deep breath, she tried another tack. "What about his family? Don't you think they'll miss him?"

"No, Mommy. I looked, there weren't any other bullfrogs by the pond. He was all alone."

Oh no, the Daniel eyes plus her pout. She was raising a little con-artist. One more try. "Darling, don't you think we have enough pets already?"

"You're one to talk." came Daniel's voice from the kitchen doorway. She gave him a "so-not-helping" glare but he ignored her as he sauntered over, placing a chaste kiss to her lips. "You started this whole pet mess in the first place."

"Me?!"

"_I_ didn't bring home two kittens three years ago."

"Those two kittens were left in a box on the side of the road. What was I supposed to do, leave them to die? Besides, I thought you liked Sebastian and Freddy."

"I do. I'm only pointing out-

"And it was really _you_ who started it all. _You_ brought Rufus home before I ever found those poor, defenceless kitties."

"_You_ wanted to get a dog. We agreed that the kids should have a pet. _One_ pet, not eight!"

"You're going to blame those others on me? I'm not the one who let Lilah bring that snake back from Jack's cabin!"

"No, but you let Rhen trade her doll for two lizards."

"Oh, please. You barely know Nut and Geb are around."

"And Cleopatra is noisy?" he asked incredulously.

"It's a _snake_, Daniel."

"Okay, okay. What about Robespierre? You're the one who told Lilah she could have one of Cassie's bunnies."

"But he's so cute. And you know Cassandra couldn't keep the whole litter. I was trying to help her out."

"Fine." Daniel said with a roll of his eyes. "We're both to blame."

"Does this mean I can keep Atticus?" Matthew asked hopefully.

"It _is_ his first one, darling." Vala whispered to her husband.

"First, but not last, I fear."

Vala laughed and shrugged before turning to her son. "Of course, you can keep him, darling. There should be an old terrarium in the cellar. Have you father help you retrieve it."

"What?!" Daniel shouted but walked away, mumbling, when Vala simply returned her attention to cooking dinner. "Let's go, Matt."

"Thanks, Mommy." Matthew said and he came around to hug her, never letting go of Atticus.

"Yeah, thanks Mommy." Daniel muttered sarcastically. "Even though I seem to be doing all the work."

"You're welcome, darling." Vala told her son, ignoring her husband. "Make sure you keep Atticus in your room, though. And wash your hands when you're done."

"Yes, Mommy." the boy said and raced from the room.

Vala blew out a long breath. She wasn't raising children. She was raising zoo-keepers.

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**R&R does not mean read and run. Please review.**


	2. First Date

A bit more angsty than the last one, but we are dealing with teenagers, after all.

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**Story Summary: **Lilah wants to go on a date and Daniel is freaking out.

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**Ages:** Rhen (15) Lilah (15)

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**First Date**

"She's too young."

"She's fifteen, darling." Vala said with a roll of her eyes as she stared at her husband in disbelief.

"Exactly! Fifteen is too young." Daniel reiterated.

"Need I remind you, Daniel, that I was already engaged by the time I was her age?"

"Oh, not a good argument." Daniel said with a visible shudder.

"I'm merely trying to point out that this is really not a big deal. It's simply a date with a boy. A boy we already know."

"That makes it worse! I mean, his father-"

"Is a wonderful man and one of your best friends. Tyler is a good boy, very responsible."

"He rides a motorcycle!"

"It's a dirt bike, darling. And it's not like he's taking our daughter out on it. Carolyn has already agreed to drive them to the cinema and I am going to pick them up. What could be safer?"

"Oh, I don't know. _Not_ letting our daughter sit alone in a dark theatre with Cameron Mitchell's teenage son, maybe?"

"Why is this such a problem, Daniel?" Vala asked angrily. "You knew it was going to happen sooner or later."

"That doesn't make it any easier. I mean, this is my little girl."

"I hate to break it to you, darling, but your little girl is growing up. They both are. Pretty soon you'll have _two_ teenage daughters dating."

"Oh, don't even go there." Daniel said dejectedly, his chin going to his chest with a sigh. Suddenly he looked up and smiled ruefully. "I'm going to miss my innocent little girls."

"I know, darling." Vala said, placing a hand to his cheek and mirroring his smile. "I can't do anything about them growing up, but hopefully we've done enough to keep them innocent for a while yet. We just have to trust them to make the right decisions. They're good girls."

"I know that. And I know Tyler is a good kid, too. But I'm a dad and it's my job to worry."

"Of course it is, darling, and you are doing a fine job of it, too. But I'm a mom and it's _my_ job to make certain that their dad doesn't take his over-protective tendencies too far."

"Okay, okay, I get it." Daniel said with a roll of his eyes and kissed Vala's forehead.

"So she can go?"

"Yeah, she can go."

"Yes!" came two excited squeals from the hallway.

"You can come in now, girls." Daniel laughed.

Rhen and Lilah slipped sheepishly into the study and sent twin grins at their parents.

"So, I take it you heard?" Daniel asked unnecessarily.

"Yes, thank you, Daddy." Lilah cried and wrapped her arms around her father's neck, kissing his cheek. "I promise you won't have anything to worry over."

"I'd better not." he grumbled as he hugged his daughter. When she released him, he noticed a silly grin on Rhen's face but chose to ignore it for now. One battle at a time.

"Thanks, Mom." Lilah said as she hugged her mother.

"You're welcome, darling."

Lilah grinned and joined her sister on the other side of the room and Daniel couldn't help sighing again. Placing an arm around his wife's shoulders, he leant down to whisper in her ear. "I still reserve the right to frighten Tyler when he gets here."

"Yes, dear. Just think about it this way, though. At least it's not Jacob."

"Over my dead body." he yelled as his eyes widened in horror.

Vala stifled her laughter but couldn't keep the grin from her face. She'd noticed Rhen's head pop up at the mention of Sam and Jack's son. Oh, boy. She was glad Daniel hadn't been paying attention and she sure wasn't going to tell him. Ignorance is bliss, as they say.

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**I _love_ reviews!**


	3. Christmas Magic

I pretty much stopped believing in Santa when I was 5 but even then I needed hard evidence. This is a fictional retelling, with a _Stargate_ twist, of something my sister and I did when I was 8.

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**Story Summary:** The twins spy on Santa.

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**Ages: **Rhen (8) Lilah (8)

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**Christmas Magic**

"I'm telling you, he's not real." Lilah whispered loudly and adamantly to her twin who sat on a step below her. "It's just not logical."

"And I'm telling you, it doesn't have to be logical." Rhen shot back fiercely. "It's _magic_."

"Magic's not real."

"Is too!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Is not!"

"Is too! Mommy told me so and she never lies."

Lilah merely scrunched up her face and stuck out her tongue. Before she could argue any more, though, the girls heard a loud noise on the roof.

"What was that?" Rhen asked, perplexed.

"I don't know. Maybe it was a bird."

The noise sounded again and the twins looked upward.

"It's Santa!" Rhen shouted with a grin on her face.

"That's impossible." Lilah rolled her eyes. "How many times do I have to tell you? He's not-"

Lilah was cut off as a bright light filled the living room. Her eyes grew wide and she stared at her sister who wore the exact same look. They turned back to the living room to find a man standing there. A man dressed in a red suit, sporting a white beard and carrying a large sack. No, it couldn't be.

"Santa?" Lilah squeaked.

"You were saying?" Rhen said with a smug grin.

"But...but...This is...This can't...How?"

"You sound like Daddy." Rhen snorted then turned her attention back to the man in the red suit. He was placing presents under the tree then made his way to the cup of red Jell-O Rhen and Matt had put out for him.

Lilah continued to stare in shock as he ate the snack then turned toward their hiding place. Suddenly he stared straight at them, grinned and winked. Rhen waved back enthusiastically but Lilah couldn't move. "Santa" chuckled then touched his nose and suddenly the room filled with that bright light again. The girls had to shut their eyes against it and when they looked back, he was gone. The room was empty. If it wasn't for the gifts under the tree and the empty Jell-O cup, Lilah would have thought she'd dreamt it all. But it had happened! She'd seen it with her own eyes. There had to be a reasonable explanation.

"Well, what do you have to say now?" Rhen demanded.

"It...it...it was Daddy! Yeah, that's it! And maybe the light was some sort of...of illusion."

"Oh, come on!" Rhen said exasperatedly. "Didn't you notice that Santa was a too short to be Daddy?"

"Um, well...It _had_ to be Daddy. Santa isn't real."

"He looked pretty real to me."

"Yes, well, Mommy and Daddy were just playing a joke on you. It was Daddy, you'll see."

"What was Daddy?" came a familiar voice from the top landing and the girls looked up, eyes wide.

"D-Daddy?" Lilah stuttered. "How did you..."

"How did I what? Know you two were awake? Let's just call it a gut feeling. What are you two doing out of bed at this hour, any way?"

"We were looking for Santa!" Rhen exclaimed with a smile.

"Oh, yeah? Did you see him?"

"Yep. And he ate the Jell-O, too."

Lilah heard her father snort and mumble something under his breath. She didn't say a word, though. She was still trying to reconcile the fact that her father was standing in front of her.

"It wasn't you?" Lilah blurted.

"What wasn't me, Li?"

"Santa!"

"Me, Santa? No, baby, it wasn't me. Must have been the real one. Wish I'd seen him myself."

"_You_ believe in Santa, Daddy?" Lilah asked in wonder.

"Of course, I do." was all he said. "Now, off to bed with you before Santa comes back to replace your presents with coal."

Lilah stood and slowly followed her sister to their room. If her dad believed then maybe there was something to this, after all. She was going to have to carefully ponder this for a while.

()()()()

Daniel chuckled as he watched the retreating backs of his girls then went to his own room. Vala was sitting up in bed, holding a communication device.

"Walter just called." she told him with a grin. "Everything went off without a hitch."

"Of course it did." Daniel answered, climbing into bed with his wife. "It's Walter."

Vala simply nodded, setting aside the device and wrapping her arms around his neck. "Merry Christmas, darling."

"Merry Christmas, sweetheart." he said and kissed her before settling them back into the pillows. As he drifted off to sleep once more, he wore a happy grin. His girls were growing up but at least they could believe in magic for just a little longer.

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**Don't be a Scrooge. Please review.**


	4. Thunderstorms

This story is actually based on an incident with my nephews. There's nothing like being jarred awake in the middle of the night by a scared 2-year-old and 5-year-old jumping into bed with you.

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**Story Summary: **Vala and Daniel try to comfort the kids during a storm.

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**Ages: **Matt (2) Rhen (5) Lilah (5)

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**Thunderstorms**

Vala awoke suddenly to the familiar sensation of being watched. With her eyes still closed, she reached for the zat that was never far away only to realise that she wasn't off-world, evading capture. She was at home, safe in her bed. Cracking one eye open, she groaned when she read 1:00 in blazing green lights. Forcing her eyes completely open, she looked around to see what had awoken her. Next to the bed stood the perpetrator.

"Matthew, darling, what are you doing out of bed?" When the two-year-old only continued to stare at her, Vala sat up. Before she could say a word, though, a loud clap of thunder rang out and the boy jumped into the bed like a scared rabbit. He burrowed under the covers and Vala could feel him shaking in fright. She tried to convince him to come out but to no avail. Finally she gave up and joined him under the blanket, wrapping her arms around the terrified child. She stroked his hair and whispered soothing words, doing her best to calm him. She'd just gotten him to where he was ready to poke his head out when the thunder roared again and he went back in, this time curling himself around the other body in the bed.

"What the-" Daniel said as Matthew's shivering form woke him. He turned to face the child, pulling the covers away. "Hey, buddy. What's wrong?"

Before Vala could tell him, two small silhouettes in the doorway caught her attention. Rhen and Lilah stood hand-in-hand and Vala smiled, beckoning them in. The two girls ran into the room and hopped onto the bed, cuddling on either side of Vala.

"Why is the thunder so loud, Mommy?" Rhen asked.

Vala stared into the huge blue eyes of her five-year-old and tried to come up with a comforting answer she'd understand. Then she remembered something from her own childhood. "Did you know I was scared of storms when I was little?"

"You were?" the twins chorused in awe.

"Yup. I used to hide under my covers until it was over. One night my father returned home and discovered me in my hiding place. You know what he told me?" She paused to take in the captive faces of her three children before continuing. "He told me the clouds were trying to talk to me and, because they were so high in the sky, they had to be loud to be heard."

"What did they say?" Lilah asked sceptically.

"Oh, all manner of things. You just have to listen."

All three children glanced upward and waited for the next roll of thunder. When it came, they jumped but not one cowered under the blankets. Instead, they listened to the rumble until it died down.

"Well?" Vala asked.

"All I hear is thunder." Lilah shrugged. Matthew shook his head as if to agree.

"I think they were saying...Hello!" Rhen said excitedly the waved at the window. "Hello, clouds!"

Vala shared a silent laugh with her husband before turning back toward Rhen. "I think you're absolutely correct, darling."

Lilah only continued to give them a dubious look and Vala couldn't help smiling at the difference in her twin girls. Matt just looked like he was bracing for the next clap of thunder. He didn't have long to wait. This time he clutched his father's arm a little tighter.

"Mommy, if the thunder is the clouds talking, is the rain their tears?"

"Well..." Vala wasn't sure how to answer that one. "I don't know, darling. Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering if the clouds were sad. Maybe I should tell them a story like you do when I'm scared."

"I think that's a wonderful idea, Rhen." Daniel spoke up and kissed his daughter's hair when she beamed up at him. "Why don't we all settle in while you tell the clouds a story."

"Okay!" she said and cuddled under the blanket with Vala while Lilah did the same on her other side. Daniel pulled Matthew to him and they listened as Rhen spun a tail that seemed to draw on every faery story and SG-1 mission report she'd ever heard. It soothed Vala to listen to the exuberance of her daughter and she could see it was having the same affect on her siblings. Lilah was the first to doze off, followed by a reluctant Matthew. Soon the thunder started to fade away and Rhen yawned hugely.

"Mommy, do you think my story helped?"

"Yes, darling, I do. Listen, the rain has stopped and the thunder sounds more like a little snore. I think you put the clouds to sleep."

"Good 'cause I'm tired." Rhen yawned once more then curled herself more securely around her mother. Vala smiled down at her children once more before looking back to Daniel.

"And you said the king-size bed was too big."

"When you're right, you're right." he told her with a shrug and quick kiss to her lips. Grinning, Vala closed her eyes and quickly fell asleep as the presence of her family wrapped itself firmly around her like a cocoon.

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**A/N: **The cloud story is something my great-uncle told me when I was little. I've never heard anyone else use it but I've always thought it was cute.


	5. Cloud Pictures

**Story Summary: **Making pictures out of clouds.

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**Ages: **Matt (8) Rhen (11) Lilah (11)

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**Cloud Pictures**

"Whatcha doin', Mommy?"

Vala turned to look up at Matthew from where she lay in the grass and smiled. "I'm making pictures with the clouds. Care to join me?"

"Okay!" Matt said excitedly and settled himself in between Vala's legs. Wrapping her arms around the boy, Vala sighed in contentment, more than a little aware that, in a few years, he wouldn't want to cuddle with his mother. She'd decided to cherish moments like these as much as possible, for as long as possible.

"Look, Mommy, it's a dinosaur!"

"That's no dinosaur, Matty." Rhen told him as she came to settle beside them. "It's a dragon. See, it's spitting fire."

"I think you're right, darling." Vala said with a smile. "It does rather resemble the dragon I once met."

"You met a dragon?" Matt asked incredulously.

"Well, not so much met as your father tried to steal its treasure, it tried to incinerate us then chased us out of its mountain."

"It breathed fire?"

"Of course it did. What self-respecting dragon doesn't breath fire?"

"Wow." This from both children.

"Guys, she's telling a story." Lilah broke in, rolling her eyes at her gullible siblings. "Dragons aren't real."

"This one most certainly was." Vala only grinned when Lilah quirked an eyebrow in disbelief. "You don't believe me? Ask your father. Better yet, ask Uncle Cameron. He tells the story the best."

"Hmm." was all Lilah said in return.

"C'mon, Li." Rhen said in amusement. "Can't you just go with it?"

"But it's not real."

"That's what you said about Santa a few years ago." Rhen laughed as her sister's eyes bugged out and she spluttered. "Relax, Li, and sit down."

With a scowl on her face, Lilah sat on the other side of her mother, away from her twin.

"Look, Matty, it's a frog. Looks a little like Atticus, don't you think?" Rhen said excitedly.

"And look, it's Cleopatra. Oh no, she's gonna eat Atticus!"

"Naw, Cleo's a vegetarian." his sister assured him.

Vala laughed at the reasoning, shaking her head. No one could ever say her children lacked imagination. Well, except for... "Lilah, why don't you give it a try?"

"This is stupid. They're just clouds, which are merely particles of water-"

"Yes, I know, darling." Vala sighed. Someone's been spending too much time with Aunt Samantha. "Use your imagination."

"I don't have one."

"Of course you do. It's just a little dusty, that's all."

"Rusty, Mom." Lilah corrected, sounding exactly like her father.

"Thank you, dear. Now, give it a go."

"Fine." the girl said with a mutinous look on her face. "I guess that one kinda looks like a DNA sequence."

Silence followed as Vala, Rhen and Matt turned as one to see the indicated cloud. Their heads all twisted side-to-side as they tried to see what Lilah did.

"I don't see it." Rhen said after nearly contorting her body upside-down.

"See, I told you I was no good at this."

"Nonsense. You just see the world differently than most and there's nothing wrong with that."

"But I don't want to be different."

"We're all different in our own ways, Lilah. No two people see the world the same way., but that's okay. It's what makes you who you are. And I love who you are. I love who you all are." she said, making sure to include all three children. "Okay?"

"Okay." Lilah said with a smile as she curled into her mother's side. "I love who you are, too, Mom."

Vala smiled and kissed the top of Lilah's head then did the same with Rhen and Matt before turning her focus back to the sky. "Now, let's see what other pictures we can see."


	6. Apples and Trees

I know these are supposed to be Vala stories but I couldn't resist.

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**Story Summary: **Jack and Daniel discover that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

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**Ages: **Rhen (2 months) Lilah (2 months) Jacob (2 years)

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**Apples and Trees**

"Daniel, your kid just winked at me."

"Don't be ridiculous, Jack." the archaeologist spared his best friend a glance and rolled his eyes when he saw Jack studying the baby in his arms like she was an alien life-form. Shaking his head, Daniel turned back to changing his other daughter's diaper.

"What has your mommy been teaching you, little Rhen?" Jack asked the baby.

"She's only 2 months old. It was probably a reaction to the light or something."

"No, I'm telling you, she winked at me. I asked her if she thought it would be funny if her sister did her thing while you were changing her, and Rhen cooed...though it sounded more like a giggle now that I think of it...then she winked."

"It is impossible for a baby her age to do that." Daniel picked up Lilah and turned toward Jack. "Hell, she can't even understand what you said to her."

"Danny, she is your kid. I mean, you've done the glowy, ascended thing more than once. And, hell, Vala's been a former snakehead and space pirate. And let's not even get started on the whole Adria thing. Who knows what this child is capable of? And you've got two of them!"

"Jack, this is the most idiotic-"

"Fine, don't believe me. Let's ask some one else."

"There's no one else here except Jake." Daniel pointed out.

"Perfect!" Jack exclaimed and went to kneel before his two-year-old son. Jacob looked at his father curiously for a moment then down at the bundle in his arms.

"Baby?" the child asked.

"Yes, Jake, it's a baby." Jack smiled indulgently. "Now, tell Uncle Danny that you saw her wink. Go on, do it for Daddy."

Jacob stared at his father like he'd gone completely mad then looked to his uncle for an explanation.

"Don't listen to you father, Jake." Daniel reassured the boy. "It's never to early to learn that he's a fruitcake."

"Cake?" Jake asked with a huge grin and looked at his father hopefully. "Want cake, Daddy."

Daniel snorted and rolled his eyes, smiling down at his daughter in his arms. "Can you say "fruitcake", Lilah?" The grin left his face when he saw the infant's eyes move and felt her body jerk. No, that's impossible.

"See! See! I told you!" Jack exclaimed triumphantly, standing to stare at Lilah. "I saw that. That one just snorted and rolled her eyes. I knew it!"

"Th-That's not what happened." Daniel said, still looking warily at his daughter. "It was...Uh...It-"

"You can deny it all you want, Danny Boy, but that child rolled her eyes just like this one winked. Guess we know which of their parent's they each take after. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

"It's a good thing Jacob takes after his mom, then." Daniel said uncomfortably, trying to steer the conversation elsewhere.

"Hey!" Jack shouted but didn't get to say any thing else before the child in question spoke up.

"Want cake, Daddy!"

"Huh, guess I was wrong." Daniel said thoughtfully. "That one obviously fell from one of your branches."

Jacob just continued to look at the adults like they were crazy, wondering where his cake was.


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